If the Lord appeared and told you that the next time you received the Sacrament of Reconciliation He would unleash a massive flood of graces, how would you prepare for such an event?
What would you say in the confessional?Are you prepared to receive such a message.
Part I: "I Love Going To Confession!" followed by Part II of the story, "I Will Unleash A Massive Flood of Graces."
Discover or rediscover the Sacrament of Christ's Peace.
"I Love Going To Confession!"
Fall in love with the Sacrament of Reconciliation! How important is this Sacrament for our souls and for the souls of others? The very last time she went, the devil harassed her so badly while she waited for her turn that by the time she was finished confessing, she felt like throwing up.
NEVER give in to the many ways the devil tries to stop us from going to Confession. He knows the tremendous, immeasurable value it has for our souls!
When she first began going to confession more often with her family, encouraged by the loving promptings of our merciful Lord to receive His graces in greater abundance, the resistance from the devil was immediately felt. Thoughts came to her several hours before her family was to leave for the church that one Saturday each month. At first she did not recognize their source, but she wants you to know that receiving Holy Communion daily has gained for her the ability to recognize when it is the devil who is speaking.
At first the suggestions from the devil included:
"You're so busy. Don't go. God will understand."
"You try so hard to be good. You don't have to go today. Go later."
"You don't feel too well right now. You better stay home."
"God knows how many challenges you face. You don't need another one. Stay home and rest."
Another strategy:
"People think you are crazy."
"Don't go; see what people think of you?"
Can you see through the deception? The devil tries to appear compassionate when his goal is to keep us from going to the Sacrament of Confession. When that doesn't work, he will fight nasty.
He tries to use our weaknesses against us. He even tries to use our strengths against us, to keep us from the sources of grace we need to fight the spiritual battle, which mind you is very real, to keep us from becoming holier, to keep us from being fine role models to our family, friends, and others, to stop us from pointing others toward the Sacraments, to get us to sin so we become distant from God, and to sabotage our efforts to grow closer to our most loving Creator.
No one is immune from the evil influences of the devil, but God provides all the grace we need to win the battles.
At one point, the Lord encouraged her to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation at a parish He identified by name. Both the Lord and she knew that even though she had been receiving the Sacrament more often, no spiritual progress was being made where she had been going to confession. She obeyed the Lord, and in a short time, the spiritual progress had been tremendous.
That made the devil even angrier. If he knew when she was going to confession because he heard her tell someone, the assaults the day and night before would be bitter, especially during the night. Often they were the most intense around the time of a special feast day, such as Pentecost and Divine Mercy Sunday, although not all our adversary's behavior is predictable. However, it is very helpful, for the angrier the devil gets, the more good is being accomplished and the more progress is being made.
And so the assaults have become a type of spiritual gauge.
She began loving going to Confession so much, and learned so much more about this astonishing Sacrament that her examination of consciences became love letters written out in advance following prayer to the Holy Spirit for enlightenment.
In essence, the Author of Love extends His love to His beloved, who then returns this love to its very Source. It is all so very loving, the whole process of recognizing God's love and mercy, recognizing ones self as being unworthy and yet loved and valued beyond measure nevertheless, apologizing to God for having offended Him who is all goodness and compassion, asking for His forgiveness, receiving it, pleasing the One who is constantly courting us, and growing in closer union with the King of all kings!
God is so in love with us.
One Monday morning she pulled into the parking lot of the church, and had planned on going to confession on Wednesday, but the devil assaulted her so viciously right there in the church parking lot that she headed right for the chapel and prayed until confessions began. Then, she rushed in!
Once, in the evening the night before she was to go to confession, the assaults began especially early. So many thoughts flooded her mind, encouragements from the devil to not go to confession the next morning. They were very clever, and sinister. They were almost overpowering. They played upon her emotions, and were extremely convincing. God's grace won another victory for her soul, she resisted, and the next morning went to confession, after having heard the pleadings of the devil all the way to the church, "Don't go! Don't go! DON'T GO! Leave that parish. LEAVE THAT PARISH!"
That is why we must avail ourselves of the Sacraments, worthily, and often. We need God's grace to resist the cunning of the devil. We need to beg for God to give this grace to others, especially those who do not understand this yet.
Real progress was being made in the confessional. It was absolutely stunning and delightful. This truth was reinforced by the devil, who at one point wanted to knock in the teeth belonging to the mouth that professed her sins and asked for mercy and pardon for herself and for others.
Discover or rediscover the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and do not delay.
Part II: "I Will Send Forth A Massive Flood Of Graces"
Not long after, her soul encountered trial after trial, blocks of time when she was unable to go to Holy Mass and Confession. The demon's assaults were increasing, and unrelenting. Her soul was sorrowful from being unable to receive the Sacraments, and during her next confession before once again returning to participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, this is what she said:
Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. My last confession was three weeks ago.
My Dearly Beloved King,
My Dearly Beloved King,
I am so happy to be here, so grateful for this precious
opportunity to reconcile my poor self with You, to thank You for everything, to
apologize for my sins, and to ask for pardon for myself, and for all my
brothers and sisters in need of Your saving grace.
You never fail to respond to the soul that asks to be
enlightened by Your Divine Majesty, and I thank You for showing me how much
work remains to be done in my soul. Thank You for Your persistence in working with
me, for without You, I am nothing.
I apologize for my selfish and self-serving nature, for the
times I have been impatient, prideful, arrogant, stubborn, so uncharitable, for
seeking comfort in too many sweet drinks that are not healthy, for my great difficulty concentrating during
my prayers, for the times that I have not reverenced You as I should have, for
the time over the weekend when I spoke cavalierly with someone about Your most
perfect plans, for the many unkind things I have said, for the times that I
have been judgmental, unforgiving, and resentful.
I am sorry my Lord and Ruler of my life for the time I swore
the other day in reference to a difficult, hateful person in front of my
children and set a very bad example, and offended You with that language and lack
of respect for her great dignity as Your daughter. I apologize for speaking the other day in a
way to someone who is very mean in front of my children that was ironic but
also at least a little spiteful while I enjoyed the moment. Please give me the grace to never lower
myself in response to other's bad behavior, and to never be the reason for
anyone else's sin. I understand You are
allowing me many opportunities to practice self mastery because I still have
such a long way to go to acquire it; please keep
working with me and together, let’s get there.
I apologize for the time three weeks ago when I made
something a bigger deal than it was in a public place, and even though my
argument was justified because we had been cheated, I failed to remain humble
and for that I was wrong and I am sorry.
As You said afterwards, You will make it up to me, and I know You always
do, and thank You for allowing that whole chain of events to occur so that You
could show Your daughter many important things that will bring Her into closer
union with You.
Let there be no distance between us, my sweet and gentle
Jesus!
I apologize for the things that I said, did, or didn’t do
that set a bad example for my children, my friends, for strangers, and for
those who dislike me because they have neglected their friendship with
You. Keep me close to You, dear Lord,
and please allow me to receive the Sacraments often.
I need You.
It was very clear that the Lord was up to something, but He kept it a mystery. She knew without a doubt that she was to patiently wait, and so she waited, very grateful to be receiving such wonderful Divine consolation. Every so often she would ask Jesus fondly, "When do You want me to go to confession?" Each time He said she was to wait.
Her soul was not troubled at all, because with His grace, it was trusting.
Then one morning as she was preparing to leave for another glorious and triumphant return to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, almighty God came to her and told her that the next time she went to confession, He was going to send forth a massive flood of graces. God had been up to something, and that was His incredible surprise.
She was overcome by emotion because of the Lord's great love, mercy, and compassion, and because He had presented such a generous offer to His most unworthy servant in return for her obedience.
Then, she wondered what she should say under such phenomenal circumstances.
While praying before Holy Mass that day, she asked the Lord what He wanted her to say during her next confession, and He told her. Her words were to be based upon the Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus 1, which is to be prayed with great confidence. Also, He no longer required that she wait before going.
And so she went to Confession the very next day prior to Holy Mass, after having prayed to our Blessed Mother for her intercession, so that God's will would be accomplished.
She also petitioned God directly for His intercession by repeating over and over again, "Lord, Your grace is sufficient."
So at the Lord's request, this is what she said:
Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. My last confession was four weeks ago.
My Almighty Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I am here today in obedience to Your will, because I love You.
You have said, “Ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you,” behold me prostrate at Thy feet. Animated with a lively faith and confidence in these promises dictated by Your Sacred Heart and pronounced by Your adorable lips, I come to ask for Your forgiveness and pardon for every sin I have ever committed against Your love and goodness over the course of my entire life.
I apologize for my stubborn nature, my lack of charity, for the unkind things that I have said, for the many times I have been impatient, hardhearted, mean, bitter, angry, uncharitable, oblivious to the needs of my neighbor, self-absorbed, prideful, egotistical, self-indulgent, imprudent, judgmental, unmerciful, vengeful, slow to forgive, and spiteful.
The worst of my faults are sure indications of my lack of self mastery, and I ask you to please help me to be more prudent when I speak, more tolerant when I think, more moderate in my emotions, and more careful when it comes to indulging in sweet foods and drinks that are very unhealthy.
Your Mouth, which speaks words that are so kind, loving and merciful, the same beautiful mouth that received so many vicious blows to satisfy Divine Justice for the many sins I have committed through my speech, bleeds still for the sins I continue to commit through my choice of words. May Your mouth, torn open and bleeding because of me, be a constant reminder to imitate You in all that I say.
This lack of self mastery makes me vulnerable to the attacks from the devil. Please continue helping me, most patient and persistent Lord, so that with Your grace, I may grow in self-mastery and always choose behavior that is most pleasing to you and accomplishes Your most perfect will.
Please forgive me for the times that my lack of self mastery has set a bad example for others, especially for my children, and/or has led others to sin in any way.
I ask this of You, sweet and gentle Jesus, for Your most Sacred Heart is an inexhaustible source of all graces and merits. Pour forth your graces from this Treasury of mercy, for I am here as you have requested, knocking at the door of the Heart through which God comes to us and through which we go to God.
To You, O Heart of Jesus, humanity has recourse. In You we find consolation when afflicted, protection when persecuted, strength when overwhelmed with trials, and light in doubt and darkness.
I firmly believe that You will grant to us the graces You have promised and for which we stand in such great need, and in such large measure, even if it requires great miracles. You have just to will it, and although I am most unworthy to even ask You for Your favors, You are the God of Mercy, and my petition to beg for these graces comes at Your request because of Your unfathomable love for each one of us. Do not refuse the response of Your unworthy but very grateful daughter who loves You!
I am here to plead for my brothers and sisters in need of your mercy, healing, and forgiveness, including atheists, Communists, terrorists, Masons, Satanists, and those who profit from abortion, pornography, and the sale of illegal drugs. I plead for the massive conversion of sinners, for all those who are living in sin, commit adultery, use artificial contraception, for sterilized couples, those who have destroyed or are considering dividing marriages and families, live in adultery, have had or participated in one or more abortions, and for those who abuse and/or use others.
Pour forth your grace upon those who are bound and chained by addictions, persecute Your Church and Your people, have left the church, have alienated themselves from the Sacraments, those who do not know you, are in need of healing, upon families and friendships that are divided, the abandoned, lonely, hardhearted, forgotten, mistreated, those who mourn, are sick, caregivers, families, married couples, homosexuals, single people, parents, single parents, grandparents, priests, and all those consecrated to the religious life.
Please convert all those who are pro-abortion, including abortion administrators, politicians, health care workers, volunteers, voters, parents, grandparents, and teachers. Please change the hearts and minds of people in every nation that need changing, most notably in the United States, which is now reaping what it has been sowing.
Please strengthen the faithful who dedicate their lives to Your service, and encourage them with abundant graces.
Cast upon us all a look of pity, and may Your compassionate Heart find in our miseries and weaknesses a pressing motive for granting these petitions. May every human heart honor and love You as we should.
Please accept this act of perfect submission to the decrees of Your adorable Heart, which I sincerely desire may be fulfilled in me and by me and by all Your people forever and ever.
My beloved Jesus, Thy Kingdom come. Eucharistic heart of Jesus, increase in us faith, hope, and charity. Heart of Jesus, burning with love for all of humanity, inflame our hearts with love of You. O Divine Heart of Jesus, convert sinners, save the dying, free the holy souls in Purgatory.
Thank You for Your great love and mercy; I give myself entirely to you, and promise to love and honor You, all the days of my life.
If almighty God came to you right now and told you that the next time you went to confession, He was going to unleash a massive flood of graces, how would you prepare for such an event? What would you say? Is your soul prepared to receive such a message.
© Joseph Karl Publishing
Do not delay!
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Source:
1. Devotion to the Sacred Heart (Charlotte, NC: Tan Books, 2010).